How has my gas and electric cost this much?!??

[theblackbird]

Over £500 just on just gas in a month when I’ve not even lived at my property throughout November? I’m in a different country currently working. I understand a standing charge but that would be £16 a day.

They’ll be using your usage from last year and an average use of a house of your size from this year to make an estimate. You need to get someone in to read the meter for you.

If you've not had it on for months it might not be working properly and doing heaven knows what. Has it been serviced?
Just get a reading taken a couple of times a month from now on.

It's not a difficult question about your bill.

Either you have estimated readings or actual readings.

Your bill will say which.

If it's estimated, then ring them and ask how they estimated it.
If it's actual, then you have a problem.

It's an estimate. It is made up. That's what estimate means.

They normally base it on the previous years usage are notoriously rubbish at accurate estimation.

You need to get your meter read. If it is external anyone can do it. Then get a smart meter to avoid this sort of thing in future.

@theblackbird not wishing to derail the thread, but can I check that if you have a mortgage (you may not have a mortgage) that you have notified them that the property is empty? You will find that most mortgage lenders would insist that properties are insured and the property being left empty would breach your agreement. This may be different if the property is a flat (as it may be that your freeholder has insurance). But it would be worth checking.

Clearly you need to get your insurance sorted or you could have much bigger problems on your hands.

A few hundred quid on a gas bill will pale into insignificance compared to the costs you will incur if you have a burst water pipe or a fire and don't have valid insurance.

As its an estimate then the figure is literally made up. Maybe they base it on last years usage. Without a meter reading you won't see your actual usage/cost

Does anyone have access that can read the meters for you? How long are you away from the property?

It is an estimate. That's where the problem lies. You will have to get somebody with a key to go round and read the meter.

I agree with others, you also need to sort your home insurance out as soon as possible, because most policies do not cover properties empty for longer than a certain period.

It's an estimate. They don't know your not at home not using gas. You need to give them a meter reading if you want an accurate bill. So it hasn't cost you £500 at all.

You need to look into insurance.

It is an estimate unless you have a smart meter where your energy company will receive exact readings.

I don’t have home insurance so I’m not going to get empty house insurance. Plus I’m back on Tuesday.

Do readings when you get back then and you'll see whether they have estimated really badly or not.

Can't believe you don't have any insurance at all. What would you have done if there was a break in or a burst pipe or an electrical fire while you were away?

I'd get a keyholes to take up to date readings you can supply. Hopefully that'll generate an accurate account. In the meantime, you can check those readings against your account and hopefully they'll be lower

No home insurance????

My energy company has been over-estimating all those not on direct debit or smart meter. They were adamant and wanted us to pay £5,000+ a month. We came off direct debit a few years ago when they misread the meter and took a five figure sum from our bank account just before a holiday.

I have sent them photographs of the meter and a calculation based on the current tariffs. They have now accepted our total gas and electric should not exceed £4,000 for the whole year. They still want us to go on direct debit and have a smart meter.

I have told them where to go in both counts. Until they can read a meter properly and put customers first I don’t trust them.

Right.

So if a £500 gas bill is such an issue how do you expect to deal with a fire, flood, collapsed wall, or major subsidence?

Ok give them a Meter reading on Tuesday and if you own your own home for the love of god get insurance

So....

Have you looked at the bill and seen how they got the amount they think you owe?

That's probably more useful than asking MN at the moment

No insurance? Bloody hell do you own your home or do you rent? Surely you don’t own a home with a mortgage and not have insurance? (Even renting you should have contents insurance etc) What happens if your house burns down? Or flood’s while it’s empty?

With your original question if you don’t have a smart metre and you’re not submitting readings, I’m not sure how your expecting the energy company to know that your house is empty and you haven’t turned the heating on. They’re not psychic and they’ll be going off last years readings with this years prices

What a pointless thread about nothing

Oops wrong thread !